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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. 'MGGUIRE.

GRAIN OAR'DOOR.

No. 331,315. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

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R. PETERS Phaloiilhngmphcr. Washington. [L C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. .MGGUIRE.

GRAIN OAR DOOR.

No. 331,315. Patented Dec. 1,1885.

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' W. MGGUIRE.

I GRAIN GAR DOOR.

No. 331,315. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

UNTTTD ETaTns PATENT Crrrcn.

WILLIAM MCGUIRE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND FRANK J AGER, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-CAR DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,315, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed June 6, 1885. Serial N0. 167,9l'7. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MoGUrRE, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Car Doors, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation showing the exterior of a section of the car; Fig. 2, a crosssection showing the door down; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section showing the interior of the doorway; Fig. 4, a crosssection showing the end of the door and the supporting devices, the door being down; Fig. 5, a detail, being a side elevation of a locking-down hoolqFig. 6, an edge elevation of the hook; Fig. 7, a side elevation of the hook, showing a modification in the point; Figs. 8, 9, and 10, details showing the floor-block for engaging the lower end of the door on the inner face and insuring the passing of the door into po sition; Figs. 11 and 12, an end and side elevation, respectively, of the corner-irons.

This invention relates to that class of graincar doors in which the door is raised vertically, and then turned or swung up to be suspended from the roof of the car when not in use and when the car is in use for hauling lumber or other articles than grain; and has for its objects to improve the construction of the guide-rods by which the door is held in being raised and lowered, so as to permit of an inward swinging of the door without injury when elevated, to improve thev devices for guiding and holding the door at the bottom, to improve the construction and operation of the hook for locking the door against upward movement when down, and to improve, generally, the construction and operation of the devices by which the door as a whole is operated; and its nature consists in the several parts and combinations herein- 5 after described, and pointed out in the claims as new.

In the drawings a section only of a complete car-body is shown, and that only for the purpose'of illustrating the location of the parts pertaining to the invention.

A represents the floor of the car, supported on cross-sills and end sills, A, and side sills, A, and any usual and wellknown form of construction and arrangement.

B is the roof, supported by rafters B and 5 side pieces, B, as usual.

C is the side pieces or framing of the door, located at a distance apart to leave a doorway, C, as usual.

D is the door, somewhat longer than the width of the doorway C, so that its ends can overlap the edges of the side pieces, C, as

shown in Fig. 3, and form a close connection between the faces of the side pieces and the door, and, as shown, the door D in height is more than half the height of the doorway C, but could be of less height.

E is a corner-piece, one for each upper corner of the door D. Each piece E is formed of a side plate, a, and end plate, a, and a top 7c plate, a, forming a recess or opening to receive the corner of the door, and each plate is secured in position by bolts or screws 1), passing through the side plate, a, and the door. Each corner-piece has an outwardly? projecting portion, 0, forming a trunnion, and at the end of c is a flange, d, which forms a stop and look when the door is raised, by which the movement of the car will not displace the door when it is in its elevated position, the lock d engaging the under side of the roof of the car or a stop-piecc on the roof, by which vertical movement of the lower end of the door when elevated is prevented.

F represents guide-rods, one for each side piece, C, and secured at its lower end to the side piece by a staple, screw, or bolt, and at its upper end to the side piece of the car-body, as shown, or to a suitable support properly located at the top of the car for that purpose. Each guide-rod at or near its lower end has an inward bend or crook, f, which leaves a larger space at that point than the balance of the space between the guide-rod and the face of the door-piece C, to which it is attached, and 5 this space, furnished by the crook f, enables the trunnion c to drop therein in case the door is swung inward and upward without being raised vertically, as may be done by an unskilled operator; and in the eventof hand roo ling the door by an inward and upward swing the bends prevent any turning or twisting by which the guide-rods will be Wrenched. or broken, as no purchase is presented against which to bear. The upper end of each guiderod F is bent or curved around to form a loop, f, with a depressed portion, f, into which the trunnion 0 can drop and form a lock against side movement of the door when elevated. As shown, the holding-loop f f is formed of a continuation of the guide-rod; but it might be an independent piece coacting with the guide-rod.

G represents plates forming stops for the lower edge of the door, located on the floor of the car sufficiently inside to leave space between them and the side pieces for the reception of the end of the door. Each plate has a straight outer wall or edge, 9, with inclined or angular corners g and a curved upper face, 9, the straight wall engaging the inner face of the door when down and preventing inward movement thereof, and the inclined corners forming guides by which the door will be thrown outward at the bottom in case it does not descend in a straight vertical line, so as to insure the passage of the bottom endinto the space between the stop and the door-frame, and the curved upper face enabling the door to be easily passed thereover in case the bottom end swings in too far, so that the door can be dropped into position. As shown, the stops are secured in position on the car-floor by screws passing through holes 9 and lugs or points 9, which enter the floor.

H is a plate for the exterior or outside of the door at the bottom, and located centrally, or nearly so, longitudinally of the door. This plate is provided with a recess, h, to receive the endof a crow-bar or other lever, to facilitate the starting of the door in an upward direction when the car is full of grain, and this plate at its lower end is recessed to fit over the threshold or iron strap usually used on the car-floor at the doorway, and the pla e is securedin position by bolts or screws, or in any other suitable manner.

I is a plate having at one end a hook, I, which hook, as shown in Fig. 5, has a circular depression, i, to fit over a round rod, and, as shown in Fig. 7, the hook I has a square depression, z", to fit over the top of the door. The plate I has a slot, t, struck on the arc of a'circle, and one of its side faces has a circular face, i.

J is a locking-plate for holding the hookplate I in engagement. This plate J is pivotally attached at one end, and its free end is provided with a curved face, j, to coact with the curved face i of the hook-plate, and the curve of the curved end of the plate J is one which gives a cam action thereto in connection with the curved face t'. The hook-plate I is held in position, so as to swing by a stud or pivot, j, which passes through the slot 2', and the slot i also permits end movement of the plate in all directions, by which it can be turned in a very small space, as it will be seen that the length of the plate can be fore-shortened in relation to the hook, and the pivot or stud j, by having the stud occupy varying positions in the slot 11. As shown, the lockingplate J is arranged to occupy a position above the hook-plate; but it can be arranged by the side of the hook-plate, in which case the hookplate in use would occupy a vertical instead of a horizontal position, and the lock-plate J is hung or pivoted to astud, j, so as to swing freely.

K is a plate to which are secured the hookplate I and the lock-plate J, in the form of construction shown, and, as shown, the plate K on its inner side is provided with sockets It, to receive the studs or pins jj, which sockets also form holding-studs for the plate K, and, as shown, the plate K is secured to the side face of the door-piece O by screws k.

L are staples attached to the door D, one at each end, and adjacent to the door-post G, and in such relation to the hook-plate Ias that the hook end I can drop over the end of the staple, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and when this arrangement is used with the door the hookplate and staple are located so as to operate below the top of the door; but with the arrangement shown in Fig. 7 the hook-plate is located higher up on the door-post, so that its holding end I will pass over the top of the door.

M is a hook swinging from the roof of the car and arranged to swing under the edge of the door when lifted, to hold the door in its elevated position.

In use, with the car full of grain, the press ure of the grain outward against the door tends to hold it firmly in position, and the door is started, to empty the car, by inserting the point of a crow-bar or other lever into the opening it of the plate H on the outside and starting the doorsomewhat, allowing thegrain to escape beneath the bottom and relieve the pressure on the door so that the door can be raised vertically, the trunnion c passing up in the space between the guide-rods F and the door-posts O, and around theinner curved face off to drop into the recess or depressed portion f, when the door can be swung up to the roof of the car and its lower or inner end caught by the hook M and held in a suspended position, the upper or outer end of the door being held by the trunnions c in the depression f, and the lower or inner end being held by the hook M, and when in this position accidental displacement of the door is prevented by the engagement of the ears d with the roof of the car or stops on such roof.

It sometimes happens that an unskilled person,when the car is'empty,will swing the door up without raising it vertically, and the bent or curved portions f allow of this operation being done without straining the trunnions or the guide-rods, as the door when thus swung up from the bottom causes its upper end to drop down, and the trunnions 0 will enter the loops f, which loops form a bearing for the trunnions and a clearing space by which the door can be swung up without wrenching or straining the parts. The dropping of the door to close it is not always in a straight line, and it sometimes happens with the old style of stops that difficulty occurs in bringing the door at the bottom in proper position, as the stops catch the edge of the door and hold it against outward swing to fit properly in position; but with the stops G, having the curved face 9 and beveled or angular ends 9, the door can be readily dropped and pushed into position, as the angling ends form guides by which the bottom of the door is carried outward to drop properly between the stops and the threshold, while the curved face allows the bottom end of the door to be carried or swung readily thereover. The door, when down, should be locked against upward movement from the jar of the car,which might raise the door sufficiently to leave an opening at the bottom, through which the grain would pass; and it has been customary to lock the door down by pins and other devices located on the inside or passing through ears and holes from the outside, and with such devices as heretofore constructed it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to withdraw the pin or locking-hook, owing to the sagging of the car or doorway, and this difficulty is obviated by using the hook-plate I and lock-plate J, as with these devices the lock can be located on the side face of the door-post and outside of the door in position to be readily reached for opening the door.

WVhen in use, the hook-plate I is adjusted properly, so that its acting end I can drop over the top of the door, as shown in Fig. 7, or over the staple L, as shown in Fig. 5, and when in locking position the plate J is thrown down to have its curved end j engage the curved face i and lock and hold the hook down, and as the plate J is hung to have its pivot back of the curved face 'i when the hook or plate is in position, the natural tendency of the lock-plate being to assume a vertical position, it will be seen that the jolt of the car tends to lock the two more firmly together instead of disconnecting them. The edge of the attached end of the hook-plate is formed beveling, so that in striking the lockplate by a crow-bar or other device to throw it out of engagement for releasing the hookplate, the point of the crow-bar or other device used will glance, and thereby render the force of the blow less liable to break or damage the hook-plate, and it will be seen that by means of the slot 1' the hook-plate can be turned on arcs of circles of different diameters, thereby enabling it to be applied to the side face of the door-post and turned within the space between the door and the exterior of the car, and when not in use the hookplate and lock-plate both drop in a vertical position, so as to be entirely out of the way. The flange d on the corner-pieces E also acts as a guard to prevent the removal of the door by raising one side, so as to withdraw the trunnions, and it will be seen that in attempting to swing the door up without raising it vertically the natural tendency of the upper end is for the trunnions c to slide down in the space between the guide-rods and door-posts until the lower end of the rods is reached, and at this point the increased space furnished by the bends f allows a play by which it will be impossible to twist or wrench the parts to produce injurious effects.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The guiderods F, having the curve or bendf at the lower end for preventing injurious effects in swinging the door up, substantially as specified.

2. The door D and corner-plates E, having trunnions c, in combination with the guiderods F, having the curves or bendsf, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with avertically-moving door, D, of the guide-stops G, having inclined or angular ends substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The hook-plate I, having the curved slot t and curved face i, in combination with the lock-plate J, having a curved engaging-face, j, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM MCGUIRE.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. ADAMS, O. W. Bonn. 

